1. Field of the Invention
The invention described and claimed herein relates generally to sandals and flip-flop types of footwear. More specifically, the present invention includes a child""s sandal, having removable and interchangeable soles that may be attached to a permanent upper sole, where the removable soles have any desired graphical design, such as an animal paw print or the like. A removable ornamental design may be added to an upper portion of the sandal, on top of a wearer""s foot, to correspond to the underside of the removable sole. For instance, if the underside of the removable sole includes a design that resembles a bear claw track, then the removable ornamental design may resemble a bear""s face and head. Similarly, if the underside of the removable sole resembles the footprint of a rabbit""s foot, then the removable ornamental design may resemble a rabbit""s face, head, and ears.
This arrangement would allow a child to choose from any number of available soles and ornamental designs to be attached to a single pair of sandals or flip-flops. The designs on the underside of the removable soles would be formed and shaped so that a child walking on a soft surface would leave footprints similar to the sole design. The removable soles may be attached to the underside of the upper sole by using hook and loop fasteners, threaded screw members, snaps, or any other suitable means. Similarly, the ornamental design members may be attached to the upper portion of the sandals by snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or any other suitable means.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,132, issued to Klimaszewski, discloses footwear having a body portion receptive of a person""s foot during use and a replaceable tread portion. The tread portion is releasably locked into the body portion by a flange having gripping members on the inner peripheral surface. The tread portion has a hollowed top portion having an outer peripheral surface with gripping apertures therein in which the gripping members are received. The outer peripheral surface of the hollowed top portion is closely received in the flange and the tread portion is thus prevented from moving both laterally and perpendicularly thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,650, issued to Bauer, teaches athletic shoes with removable outsoles. Each upper is designed to fit an individual foot and ankle for a particular wearer and such upper is provided with an insole securely and permanently connected therewith. Each insole terminates along its peripheral margin with one part of a bead-and-recess mechanically detachable locking member. A removable outsole is provided with a surface contacting tread which is selected to not only best match the surface of a particular sports area but also the condition of such surface at a particular time of use. A flexible member is permanently connected with the outsole and terminates along its peripheral margin with the other part of the mechanical locking member. The outsole and the insole are further connected together by mating Velcro members, tongues and grooves carried by the outsole and insole in paired relations, and other interlocking means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,294, issued to Goodyear, shows a replaceable shoe sole comprising a mid-sole, which is securely attached to the upper portion of the shoe, and an outsole removably attached to the midsole. The upper surface of the outsole is provided with a continuous ridge which is snapped into a matching, deformably resilient groove recessed into the bottom surface of the midsole. The configuration of the ridge and the resiliency of the outsole and the midsole material, which is preferably a polyurethane resin or foam, permits the outsole to be easily and selectively removed and replaced by an outsole having a new or distinctive tread pattern, the replaced outsole being reusable if desired. The ridge on the outsole is provided with an undercut portion to provide secure retention of the outsole in the midsole, although the specific cross sectional shape of the ridge may vary depending upon the retentiveness required by a particular activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,028, issued to Posacki, discloses a shoe with replaceable outsole, destined for use as a tourist, army, work, etc. shoe. It is basically comprised of an upper portion to which the upper sole is permanently attached in some manner, a removable outsole with an interlocking feature on top which engages with the bottom of the uppersole and with a varying bottom portion (depending on the use it is put to), and a removable set of connector rods.
None of the prior art, however, discloses a child""s sandal having a removable sole member that includes a desirable graphical portion formed on a bottom thereof, such as a bear claw track or the like, together with a removable ornamental design member that may be removably attached to an upper member, such as the likeness of a bear""s head and face. This arrangement allows a child to leave any desired track on a soft surface such as sand or dirt, and the ornamental design may be used to remind a child of which set of tracks he or she is wearing on the bottom of the sandal.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a sandal with a removable sole member that may be easily interchangeable and replaceable with other removable sole members when one sole becomes worn out.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a sandal for children, having a removable sole that includes any desired graphical design and shape on a bottom portion thereof, such as a bear track, so that a child may leave a footprint resembling any desired animal track or other graphical representation on a soft surface.
Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a sandal for children having a removable sole and a removable ornamental design member on an upper portion thereof, where the graphical design on the underside of the sole (tiger paw, for instance) would logically correspond with the ornamental design member (a tiger""s head).
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a footwear system, where a child may select the type of footprint that he or she would like to leave behind on a soft surface by selecting a particular removable sole to attach to the bottom portion of a sandal.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a sandal having a removable sole portion, which may be in the shape of a square or circle, or any other desired shape, and which may be used on the bottom of sandals of any size, so that although the particular sandals would have to fit the particular wearer, the removable sole portions universally fit sandals of any size.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a sandal with a removable sole member that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and which overcomes some of the problems associated with other types of footwear having removable soles. These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent with a reading of the following specification, the drawings, and the appended claims.